Safety aeroplane



May 6, 1930. J LE P LD 1,757,842

SAFETY AFEROPLANE Filed March 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 -1 J7 Y m -1 4a 16 IN VEN TOR BY W $1111.13.

y J. LEOPOLD 1,757,842

SAFETY AEROPLANE Filed March 1.5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 6, 1930 PATENT OFFICE :rosnrrr LEoroLn. or NEW YORK, N. Y.

SAFETY .AEROPLANE Boiled-for abandoned application Serial No. 217,361, filed. September 8, 1927. App1ication filed March 15,

1929. Serial No. 347,412.

This invention relates generally to flying machines, and has more particular reference to a novel type of flying machine having foldable wings. I The invention has for an object the provision of a device as mentioned above which is of simple construction and eflicient and reliable in service.

The invention consists in pivotally arranging propellers on 'a flying machine body so as to be directable either upwards or frontwards, and pivotally arranging wings on the body to be horizontally extendible to act as supporting wings, or vertically collapsible to reduce the head-on resistance of the flying ma chine, and when the wings are in vertically collapsed posit-ion they are adapted to automatically assume horizontal positions in the event that the flying machine falls.

The preferred form of the invention shown in the drawings shows the motors for driving the propellers tiltable along with the propellers. Mechanical or manual means serves for tilting the motors and propellers.

The present disclosure is a refiled application of an abandoned ap lication filed by me on' Sept. 3, 1927, Serial 0. 217,361.

' For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages there- 30 of, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawing and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device constructed according to this invention, certain parts being broken away to disclose other interior parts. i

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a front view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the wings extended and the motors turned 45 so that the propellers are directed upwards.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentar sectional view, taken onthe line 5-5 of ig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

50 Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of Fig. 4 illustrating a modificationflthereof, certain parts being shown in section.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal sectionalview taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7. j

, Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 99 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side view looking in the direction of lines 10-1O of Fi 8.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary sectiona? detail view taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken on the line 1e 1e of Fig. 12.

The reference numeral 10 indicates generally an airplane body having projecting standards 11 between which motors 12 are pivotally mounted and supplied by fuel through head pipes 12 resiliently connected by springs 12' in coupling 12". The shafts of the motor are provided with propellers 13. Wings 14 are rigidly connected to bars 15 pivoted as at 16 to pintle rods 17 used to support motors 12.

The standards 11 are formed with projecting fingers 18 behind which wings 14 engage when in collapsed position and the pro ellers are in vertical position as shown in. igs. 1, 2 and 3.

The wings are provided with stops 14" abutting against the motors when the wings are in horizontal position. Each of the mo- .tors has an arcuate tooth bar 19 secured thereon which mesheswith a worm 2O fixed on the shaft 21 rotatably supported in the body 10. A handle wheel 22 is fixed to the shaft 21 for manual manipulation of the shaft, and also fixed on the shaft are gears 23 and 24, the gear 24 meshing with i ler gear 25. A stud shaft 26 has gears 27 and 28 feathered thereto so as to be slidable and gear 27 being meshable with gear 23 or gear 28 with gear 25. The shaft 26 has a worm wheel 29 fixed thereon meshing with a worm on the shaft of motor 30. The lever 31 is connected by link 32 with the gears-24, 25, so that the gears may be moved on the shaft 26 by manipnlation of the lever.

A tail 33 is fixed to the rear of the body 10 and another tail 34 is pivotally connected.

A steering vane 34 is pivotall connected to the bottom of the body 10 and as a top arouate so ment 34 meshing with gear 70 on a stub s aft 71 provided with a hand wheel 72 and supported in brackets 73. The gear 70 is fixed to stub shaft 71 by means of a spring actuated catch 74 which may be moved so as to free the gear from the shaft. The wheel 72 may be turned to move the vane 34 aiding in the steering and landing of the airplane. A sector gear 35 is connected with tail 34 and m'eshin with the sector gear 35 is a gear 36 fixed on s aft 37 provided with hand wheel 38. A pair of wings 39 are hinged to the sides of body 10 and normall hang downwards. The wings 39 are provid ed with project-ions 39% engageable by spring. pressed hooks 39 to latch the wings in horizontal position. The hooks 39 are pivotally mounted to the standards 11 and having releasing cords 39 connected therewith.

The standards 11 have brackets 40 secured thereon, and connected with leads 41. Discs 42 supported on rods'43 are arranged within the brackets, and pressed against the ends of the brackets by springs 44 housed in cas- Y ing 45 and acting against flanges 46 fixed to the rods 43.

The arcuate toothed bar 19 has a projecting finger 47 engageable against a pivoted lever 48 connected by rod 49 to a switch 50 having leads 51 and 52 and supported from the body 10. Flexible cords 53 extend between the body 10 and the wings 39 and are of such lengths thatwhen the wi s are horizontal the cords are tightly stretc ed. Wedges 54 project from the standards 11 and are at" such ositions that when the wings 14 are moved downwards due to the motors being moved so that the propellers are horizontal, the wings are slightly forced open. In the modification illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10, the wings 39 are provided with arms pivotally connected to links 61 which are connected to the top of rack bar 25 slidably arran' ed in brackets 76 and meshing with gear 77 xed onto stub shaft 71 by a spring actuated catch 74 which may be moved so as to free the gear from the shaft providing manual means for moving the win to open or closed positions. The wings 39 ave extensions 63 slidably arranged and normally urged inwardly by springs 64. A loop projects from the wing 39 and the cord 53 passes through this loop and there connects with a finger 66 pro'ecting from the extension 63, the spring 64 eing coaxially arranged on the string 53 between the members 65 and 66. As the wing 39'- is moved from horizontal to downward closed position the cord 53 allows spring 64 to move the extension into the wing and when the wing is moved back to horizontal position the extension is forced outwards since as seen in Fig. 10 the finger 66 which is connected with the extension, will be forced towards the loop member 65 connected on the wing.

In operating the invention machine, lever 31 is moved so that'gears 27 and 23 engage. The motor 30 is next energized moving the motors from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 to the position shown'indot and dash lines 56. As the motors near this position the finger 47 acts against the lever 48 cansing switch 50 to move, opening the switch and breaking the electrical circuit to the motor 30, the electrical connections not being shown on the drawing. The motors 12 are next started and the machine ascends vertically into the air with all wings closed. After the machine is up in the air, if for any reason itstartsfalling the wings 14, which are slightly open already due to wedges 54, will open due to air entering beneath them and assume a position indicated by dot and dash-lines 57 in Fig. 1. 'Air enters beneath the wings 39 forcin them to horizontal position and hooks 39 loc these wings in this position, shown by dot and dash lines 58. Fig. 4 shows the wings in open position.

When the device has reached a desired altitude, referrin to the modification shown in Figs. 7 to 10 t e wings 39 are opened by the operation of the hand wheel 72. It should be noticed that the spring actuated catch 74 of gear must be disengaged so as not to operate the vane 34, and the catch of gear 77 must be operative for fixing gear 77 onto the shaft .71. Lover 31 is moved to cause gears 27 and 23 to. disengage and to engage gears 25 and 28. A switch is next closed which shuts switch 50 and the motor 30 operates to turn the motors or so that the propellers 13 are moved vertically or at any desired tilt, and the machine travels forward, steerable by movements of tail 34. The wings 39 are depended upon to support the machine during horizontal flight when the motors are moved so that the pro ellers 13 assume tractor positions for horlzontal flight.

As the device travels forward, the air pressure against discs 42 move these discs to break the electrical connection between leads 41 and the discs 42. If-for any reason the forward travel of the machine slows up, and the machine starts falling because it is not traveling forward fast enough, the air ressure against the discs 42 is reduced, and t e discs move forward due to the spring action 44, closing the circuit between leads 41 and through the disc which willenergize motor 30 and operate other necessary controls to move the motors 12 to their upward'l directed positions 56 so that the horizonta propellcrs 13 will arrest falling and permit landing or rising as desired.

' Attention is called that Figs. 1, 2 and 3 do not illustrate the device inhorizontal fli ht, but rather at rest on the ground. As before pointed out the wings 39 must be extended as indicated by dot and dash lines 58 in Fig. 1 during horizontal flight of the machine. As shown'in Fig. 4 all wings are extended for attempting to arrest the machine from falling, but as before stated normally in vertical flight the wings are all closed.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form, construction, and arrange ment of the several elements employed, it will be understood that the device is, nevertheless, susceptible of considerable modification therein, and I therefore reserve the privilege of resorting to all such changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1.-In a flying machine, a body, vertical standards projecting therefrom, motors with propellers, pivotally mounted in the standards by means of pintle rods, wings hingedly connected to the pintle rods, and capable of openin into horizontal position when the propel ers are disposed in horizontal positions, arcuate tooth bars secured to the motors, a gear system connected with the tooth bars, and means for actuating the gears to raise or lower the motors so that the propellers dispofi vertically or horizontally.

2. In a flying machine, a body, vertical standards projecting therefrom, motors with propellers,- pivotally mounted in the standards by means of pintle rods, wings hin edly connected to the pintle rods, and ca ab e of opening into horizontal position w en the propellers are disposed in horizontal positions, arcuate tooth bars secured to the motors, a gear system connected with the tooth' bars, means for actuating thegears to raise or lower the motors so that the propellers dispose vertically or horizontall wings piv otally secured to the said bo y, and means for raising and lowering these wings.

3. In a flying machine, a body, vertical standards projecting therefrom, motors with propellers, pivotally moun ed in the standards by means of pintle rods, wings hinged- 1y connected to the pintle rods, and capable of opening into horizontal position when the propellers are disposed in horizontal positions, means for locking'the wings against openin when the propellers are 1n vertical positio arcuate tooth bars secured to the motors a gear' system connected with the tooth are, means for actuating the gears to raise or lower the motors so t at the propellers dispose vertically or horizontally, wings pivotally secured to the said .body, and means for raising 'and lowering these wings.

' 4. In a flying machine, a body, vertical standards projecting therefrom, motors with propellers, pivotally mounted in the standards by means of pintle rods, wings hingedtions, arcuate tooth bars secured to the motors, a gear system connected. with the tooth bars, and means for actuating the gears to raise or lower the motors so that the propellers dispose vertically or horizontally, said means being electrically operated, and fingers project from the arcuate tooth bars engageable against switches to cut ofi the current to the said means when the motors reach certain positions.

5. In a flying machine, a body, vertical standards projecting therefrom, motors with propellers, pivotally mounted in the standards by'means of pintle rods, wings'hingedly connected to the pintle rods, and capable of opening into horizontal position when the propellers are disposed in horizontal positions, arcuate tooth bars secured to the motors, a gear system connected with the tooth bars, and means for actuating the gears to raise or lower the motors so that the propellers dispose vertically or horizontally, said means being electrically operatedfand fingers project from the arcuate tooth bars engageable against switches to cut ofi the current to the said means when the motors reach certain positions, the said vertical standards being adapted to support air operated push discs controlling electrical switches.

6. In a flying machine, a body, vertical standards projecting therefrom, motors with propellers, pivotally mounted in the standards by means of pintle rods, wings hingedly connected to the pintle rods, and capable of opening into'horizontal position when the propellers are dis osed in horizontal positions, arcuate-toot bars secured to the motors, a gear system connected with the tooth bars, means for actuating the ears to raise or lower the motors so that t e propellers dispose vertically or horizontally, wings pivotally secured to the said body, and means In testimony whereof I have aflixed my I signature.

JOSEPH LEOPOLD. 

